Skills and knowledge

Working conditions

usually work regular business hours, but sometimes do shift work, work weekends or are on call

work in buildings, factories, private homes and on construction sites

may work in confined spaces in lift shafts, and in potentially dangerous conditions at heights and around electrical controls and operational equipment.

What's the job really like?

Scott McNab

Lift Technician

Scott McNab originally wanted to become an electrician, but ended up taking an electrical wiring apprenticeship with an elevator company instead. "That was fortunate for me, because I got to work with electrical equipment that a normal electrician might not be exposed to."

Not knowing what the day will bring

A typical day for Scott consists of a number of routine maintenance visits to elevators around town – this means checking all the safety switches, rollers, and emergency lights in the lift. He also gets called out to breakdowns and to rescue people stuck in lifts.

"That's one of the great things about this job – you don't know what's going to happen when you get up in the morning. It's not like you're rocking up to the same desk, same chair and same computer every day."

Satisfaction in resolving problems

Scott says it can get a bit stressful when jobs come in one after the other, but adds that fixing a troublesome or reoccurring problem more than makes up for it.

"It's great when you manage to nail a problem that other people have had a go at and haven't been able to fix.

"It's also satisfying to look after a piece of equipment and make sure it runs as efficiently as it can with minimal breakdowns – it gives me a great deal of pride."

Entry requirements

There are no specific requirements to become a lift technician, as most employers train their staff in-house. However, most employers prefer you to be qualified as an electrician, engineer or mechanic.

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